AAPI Montclair To Host Lantern Festival for Justice, Remembrance

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of AAPI Montclair. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

AAPI Montclair will host its first ever Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance at Edgemont Memorial Park in Montclair on Friday, May 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. (rain date: May 22), illuminating the park with over a thousand white paper lanterns as a memorial to all victims of racial violence and injustice.

The event will honor not only victims of the current wave of anti-Asian violence, but lives lost to all forms of racism, including police violence and the systemic inequities that have caused COVID-19 to disproportionately impact communities of color.

“Just as we cannot limit our advocacy as parents to our own children, but must commit to advancing equity and anti-racism for all children, so we cannot grieve for our Asian American sisters and elders without mourning those killed by other forms of white supremacy,” event co-lead Amber Reed said. “After a year with few opportunities to mark loss in fellowship with each other, we felt a deep need to extend our love to the wider community through this evening of beauty, remembrance, and solidarity.”

In addition to the lantern display, the family-friendly event will feature live musical performances, food trucks, brief remarks from community leaders (speaker line-up TBA), and the opportunity f r participants to dedicate lanterns with special names or messages. Masks and social distancing will be required.

Admission is free. The Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance is funded by individual members of AAPI Montclair and lantern sponsorships through its campaign at givebutter.com/lanternfest. In keeping with the spirit of the evening, any donations beyond the cost of the lanterns will be divided between the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fun d and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

To RSVP, donate or learn more, visit aapimontclair.org.

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.